U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,285 describes a technique whereby a channel waveguide can be formed in a structure made of a non-linear optical polymer by heating the structure to a temperature above the glass-transition temperature for the polymer, and by applying an electric field to patterned electrodes positioned adjacent the structure so as to "pole" (i.e., to induce molecular alignment in) the polymer in a predetermined elongate region of the structure according to a pattern as determined by the patterned electrodes. The polymeric structure is then cooled below the glass-transition temperature for the polymer and the applied electric field is removed, thereby "freezing" the predetermined elongate region of the structure in a poled state to function as a channel waveguide. The disclosure in U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,285 is incorporated herein by reference.